You won't believe the deadly game being played by teenagers

November 15, 2013

Writer

Now, the last few weeks, we’ve been kind of drifting into a new direction on trying to find people who see the world in a different way and then can equip you to deal with what’s coming. Yesterday, we had Mike Rowe back on the program. He is leading Americans in the right direction, encouraging people to forge their own path, embracing the idea that yes, hard work, hard work makes a difference, and if you work hard first, you will reap rewards later, the once-valued concept of merit and earning something that has been lost.

America is now the exact opposite. People come out of college. They think they deserve a high-paying job, a corner office, a big home, fancy car. I mean, you know, when my kids were trying to find a house, they couldn’t understand well, wait a minute, but I want to have a nice house. Well, yeah, so did your mom and I when we were starting out. We didn’t have one. We had to work a long time, and my parents’ generation, they worked their whole lives to be able to have a house.

That is kind of lost now. The mindset of I want it now is why we have a stagnant economy filled with entitlement, not entrepreneurs. Instead of the Greatest Generation, we now have the self-described I am the greatest generation. Our grandparents and our great-grandparents didn’t come up with that title themselves. In fact, I think they would have shunned it. They were busy earning that title.

Today, many people in America don’t try because they’re constantly told you can’t make it, you’ll never make it, don’t, that’s a stupid idea, why, you’ll never succeed. Michael Moore tells people this in his movies. Even the president says that, even though both of them have managed to become wildly successful. Yet, for some reason they say to everybody else you can’t.

People are also told that they are awesome, and they deserve the very best. You’re not going to be able to make it on your own, but you deserve the very best, so vote for me, and I’ll be the person who gives it to you. The problems that we have in this country are so overwhelming that many people just say, “I’m just going to give up.”

I was having dinner last week with a friend of mine, really a just wonderful couple that has raised remarkable children. And he said to me, “Glenn, you know what, I’m just to the point where I’m just like, I’m just going to take care of my family.” Yes, bingo! That’s how you right the ship. It all starts at home.

Farming out parenting to teachers, farming out morals or whatever to TV just doesn’t work. We’ve tried all of that, and look where it got us. Do you remember the good old days when billboard ads were for bread or soda or something? In Detroit, this is now a billboard, “Thou shall not kill.” Hey, everybody, let’s not kill everybody, okay? That’s amazing.

There’s a new game out now that’s popular among teens. It’s called “knockout,” and believe it or not, it’s worse than it sounds. A group of teens walk around and pick out a person walking alone, and they just try to knock them out with one punch. Who can do it next? There’s also been a rash of anti-Semitic attacks in Brooklyn, including another one last night. It’s believed to be a version of knockout called “knockout the Jew,” where teens go around, and they look for Jewish people. And when they find them, they knock them out.

So what’s happened to us? How did we get here? Well, it is the product of all of us who think that we could have it all, and so we were apathetic or absent parents. Or we are parents that are so overwhelmed, and we believe the lie that gee, the experts know better, so I’m going to listen to them. Or we’ve allowed the virtual world to invade our home and churn out thugs with no sense of humanity. And it’s only going to get worse.

And then of course there’s the schools. Common Core is now helping further destroy education, which is not going to make things better. I don’t know if you read on TheBlaze today, they are now dropping cursive writing because, you know, cursive writing, there’s nothing important at all to read that has been written in cursive. I mean, why would you put anything in cursive writing if it’s really important?

Oh, how are our kids going to be able to read your words? How are your kids going to be able to read the founders’ words? Well, we live in a digital age. We shared this story on our Facebook page. We’d like you to tell us what you think about it. We think it’s extraordinarily dangerous.

I don’t know about you, but my kids don’t need any help figuring out the iPad and the computer. If anybody needs to do that, it would be me, not them. They’re addicted to it like crack, and they figure out how to use it themselves. They don’t need help with the digital age. They live it.

But more importantly, there’s a new study out that shows that kids who use computers frequently or have access to computers in their room, increased anxiety and stress is a big part of their life. Why? Because they’re being raised in a virtual world and missing out on the real one all around them. They’re empty inside, and they know it.

Now, at least one Florida mom gets it. Another story today, she was quite upset when her son made the honor roll. You’d say well, that doesn’t make sense. Well, the honor roll is apparently three A’s, a C, and a D. She was “furious and appalled” that he was rewarded for the C and the D. She had punished him in order to teach him, but the school gave him a little gift and said you’re exceptional. You go girl or boy, whichever you choose to be today, but you know, who are we to judge? And they rewarded him. For what, mediocrity? Three A’s, a C, and a D, that’s the honor roll?

We shelter them from the real world, allow them to live in a virtual world with no consequences, but when they get into the real world, I don’t know about you, but if I have people who are working here, and they get three A’s, a C, and a D, if they get that the next quarter, they’re not going to be working here. If I get that, you’re not going to be watching.

We have to teach our children the truth. We have to teach our children right and wrong, and to continue to prop up D students and stamp them as honor roll material, you can expect the I am generation failure to continue.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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